Ver. 4. the uth Chapter of St. JO H N. 11 II. Why this thould be our great care ? I. This is the End why all Creatures were made ; Rom. ir. 36. For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. When God did make the World, he did not throw it out of his Hands, and leave it alone to fubfif of it felt, as a thing that had no further relation to him ; but fo guides it, and governs ir, that as the firft produ&i- on, and continued fubfftence of all things is from himfelf, fo the ultimate Refolution and Tendency of all things might be to him. The whole World is a Circle, and all the Motions of the Creatures arecircular, they end where they began ; as Rivers run to the place whence they came. All that iflùeth out of the Fountain of his Goodnefs, mutt fall again into the Ocean of his Glory, but Man efpecially. If God had made us to live for our felves, it were lawful But, Prov. 16.4. The Lord hash made all thingt for himfelf; all things are made ultimately and terminatively for God, but Man imme- diately. Creatures are made immediately for us, and fubmit to out Dominion, or are created for our ufe. 2. From God's Right and Intereft in us. Rom. 14. 7, 6. For none of tat liáseth to himfelf, and no Man dieth to himfelf. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord ; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's ; We are his, and therefore for him. All that you have is God's, and by giving it to you, he did not dived himfelf of his own Right. God fcatters his Benefits, as the Hufbandman doth his Seed, that he may receive a Crop. His Glory is not due to ano- ther 5 He made us out of Nothing, and bought us; a Cor. 6.19, 20. Te are not your own, ye are bought with a Price : therefore glorify God in your Body, and in your Spirit, which are God's. If we had any thing our Own, we might ufe it for our felves. 3. We flail be called to an account. Luke t9.23. Wherefore then gavefi not thou my Mony into the Bank, that at my coming I might have required my own with Vfury ? We mutt give an account, what honour God hath had by us in our Relations, as Magi - ftrates, Ministers, Matters of Families, Servants, Hufbands, Wives, Parents, Chil- dren; What Honour by our Effaces, Relations,. etc. We are obliged fo deeply by preceding Benefits, that if there were no account to be given, we Ihould be careful to ufe all things for his Glory : Oh but much more, when there will be fo ftrift and fevere an Account, The Lord of thole Servants will reckon with them. What we enjoy, is not Donum a Gift, but 11alentum a Talent, to be improved for our Matter's Ufe. Beafts are liable to no Account, becaufe they have not Reafon and Confcience, as Man hath, and are meetly ruled with a Rod of Iron : they are to glorify God palïively ; but we are left to our choice, and therefore mutt give an account. 4: Becaufe of the great Benefit that cometh to us by it. God noteth it, and rewards it. He noteth it : Joh.17.10. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am gloried in them. Our Redeemer fpeaketh well of us behind our Backs, and maketh a good Report of us in Heaven. And he rewards it in the day of his Royalty. Chrift will not be ashamed of his poor Servants. Mat. 19.2E. Te which have followed me in tie Regeneration, when the Son of Man (hall fit in the Throne of his Glory, ye alfo orals ft upon twelve Thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of lfrael. 5. The End enobleth a Man, and frill the Man is according to his End. Low Spi- rits have low Defigns, and a bale End is purfued by bare A &ions. Mat. 6. 22, 23. The Light of the Body is the Bye : if therefore thineE,ge be (Engle, thy whole Body (hall be full of Light. Bat if thine Eye be evil, thy whole 'Body All be full of Darknefs. Men are properly filch as the End that they aim at ; he that purfueth any worldly Intereft, or earthly Thing, AS his End is Earthly, he betbmeth himfelf Earthly; the more the Soul direð it 1 if to God,the more God -like ; their Inclinations are above the bate things of this World. Pfà1. t7. 14. From Men of the World, which have their Portion in this Lift, and whole Belly thou fillefl with thy hid Treafures. The Nobleft Soul is for the Nobleft Objet ; others do but provide for the Flefh, they drive on no greater Trade ; they may talk of Heaven, with for it rather than Hell, when they can live no longer, but their Lives are only for feathering a Nell, which will quickly be pulled down: To rule a Kingdom, is a 'nobler Defgn, than to play with Children for Pins or Nuts. A Man that defigneth only to pamper his Body, to live In all Plenty, what a poor Life doth he lead ? A, Beatt can eat, drink, fleep, as they do : Phil. 3. 19, z0. Whole End is Defiruetion, wholee God is their Belly, and whole Glory is in their Shame, who mind Earthly Things. But our Converfation is in Heaven, &c. "¡hey make a great pother in the World about a brutish Life, which will foots have an End. 6. God
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